Good Fortune Will Elevate Even Petty Minds, And Give Them The Appearance Of A Certain Greatness And Stateliness, As From Their High Place They Look Down Upon The World; But The Truly Noble And Resolved Spirit Raises Itself, And Becomes More Conspicuous In Times Of Disaster And Ill Fortune.

-Plutarch

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Good Fortune Will Elevate

Plutarch

Topic

Greatness

Giving

Mind

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Scilurus On His Death-bed, Being About To Leave Four-score Sons Surviving, Offered A Bundle Of Darts To Each Of Them, And Bade Them Break Them. When All Refused, Drawing Out One By One, He Easily Broke Them, Thus Teaching Them That If They Held Together, They Would Continue Strong; But If They Fell Out And Were Divided, They Would Become Weak.

Strong

Teaching

Son

It Is No Great Wonder If In Long Process Of Time, While Fortune Takes Her Course Hither And Thither, Numerous Coincidences Should Spontaneously Occur. If The Number And Variety Of Subjects To Be Wrought Upon Be Infinite, It Is All The More Easy For Fortune, With Such An Abundance Of Material, To Effect This Similarity Of Results.

Time

Numbers

Long

The Old Proverb Was Now Made Good, "the Mountain Had Brought Forth A Mouse.

Mountain

Made

Mice

Foreign Lady Once Remarked To The Wife Of A Spartan Commander That The Women Of Sparta Were The Only Women In The World Who Could Rule Men. "we Are The Only Women Who Raise Men," The Spartan Lady Replied.

Men

Wife

Sparta

To Fail To Do Good Is As Bad As Doing Harm.

Failure

Failing

Harm

Though Others Before Him Had Triumphed Three Times, Pompeius, By Having Gained His First Triumph Over Libya, His Second Over Europe, And This The Last Over Asia, Seemed In A Manner To Have Brought The Whole World Into His Three Triumphs.

Europe

Triumph

Three

That We May Consult Concerning Others, And Not Others Concerning Us.

May

A Physician, After He Had Felt The Pulse Of Pausanias, And Considered His Constitution, Saying, "he Ails Nothing," "it Is Because, Sir," He Replied, "i Use None Of Your Physic."

Pulse

Physicians

Use

Poverty Is Not Dishonorable In Itself, But Only When It Comes From Idleness, Intemperance, Extravagance, And Folly.

Extravagance

Poverty

Poor

Character Is Simply Habit Long Continued.

Perseverance

Character

Long

Neither Blame Or Praise Yourself.

Blame

Praise

When One Told Plistarchus That A Notorious Railer Spoke Well Of Him, "i'll Lay My Life," Said He, "somebody Hath Told Him I Am Dead, For He Can Speak Well Of No Man Living.'

Men

Speak

Notorious

Even A Nod From A Person Who Is Esteemed Is Of More Force Than A Thousand Arguments Or Studied Sentences From Others.

Argument

Force

Thousand

The Whole Of Life Is But A Moment Of Time. It Is Our Duty, Therefore To Use It, Not To Misuse It.

Inspirational

Funny

Life

Philosophy Is The Art Of Living.

Art

Philosophy

Art Of Living

Politics Is Not Like An Ocean Voyage Or A Military Campaign... Something Which Leaves Off As Soon As Reached. It Is Not A Public Chore To Be Gotten Over With. It Is A Way Of Life.

Military

Ocean

Political

Democritus Said, Words Are But The Shadows Of Actions.

Shadow

Action

Said

Wickedness Is A Wonderfully Diligent Architect Of Misery, Of Shame, Accompanied With Terror, And Commotion, And Remorse, And Endless Perturbation.

Wickedness

Misery

Shame

Come Back With Your Shield - Or On It

Greek

Sparta

Shields

Authority And Place Demonstrate And Try The Tempers Of Men, By Moving Every Passion And Discovering Every Frailty.

Moving

Passion

Men

It Is Circumstance And Proper Measure That Give An Action Its Character, And Make It Either Good Or Bad.

Character

Giving

Personality

Reason Speaks And Feeling Bites

Feelings

Speak

Reason

Rather I Fear On The Contrary That While We Banish Painful Thoughts We May Banish Memory As Well.

Memories

May

Painful

Where The Lion's Skin Will Not Reach, You Must Patch It Out With The Fox's.

Skins

Lions

Foxes

Choose What Is Best, And Habit Will Make It Pleasant And Easy.

Happiness

Easy

Habit

If You Hate Your Enemies, You Will Contract Such A Vicious Habit Of Mind That It Will Break Out Upon Those Who Are Your Friends, Or Those Who Are Indifferent To You.

Hate

Hatred

Mind

It Were Better To Have No Opinion Of God At All Than Such A One As Is Unworthy Of Him; For The One Is Only Belief - The Other Contempt.

God

Belief

Opinion

Know How To Listen, And You Will Profit Even From Those Who Talk Badly.

Inspirational

Empathy

Advice

Lampis, The Sea Commander, Being Asked How He Got His Wealth, Answered, "my Greatest Estate I Gained Easily Enough, But The Smaller Slowly And With Much Labour.

Sea

Wealth

Enough

All Men Whilst They Are Awake Are In One Common World: But Each Of Them, When He Is Asleep, Is In A World Of His Own.

Dream

Sleep

Insomnia

We Are More Sensible Of What Is Done Against Custom Than Against Nature.

Done

Tradition

Sensible

Instead Of Using Medicine, Better Fast Today.

Medicine

Today

Using Me

Lycurgus The Lacedæmonian Brought Long Hair Into Fashion Among His Countrymen, Saying That It Rendered Those That Were Handsome More Beautiful, And Those That Were Deformed More Terrible. To One That Advised Him To Set Up A Democracy In Sparta, "pray," Said Lycurgus, "do You First Set Up A Democracy In Your Own House."

Beautiful

Fashion

Hair

Barba Non Facit Philosophum

Latin

Character Is Long-standing Habit.

Art

Philosophy

Character

When A Man's Eyes Are Sore His Friends Do Not Let Him Finger Them, However Much He Wishes To, Nor Do They Themselves Touch The Inflammation: But A Man Sunk In Grief Suffers Every Chance Comer To Stir And Augment His Affliction Like A Running Sore; And By Reason Of The Fingering And Consequent Irritation It Hardens Into A Serious And Intractable Evil.

Running

Grief

Eye

Being Conscious Of Having Done A Wicked Action Leaves Stings Of Remorse Behind It, Which, Like An Ulcer In The Flesh, Makes The Mind Smart With Perpetual Wounds; For Reason, Which Chases Away All Other Pains, Creates Repentance, Shames The Soul With Confusion, And Punishes It With Torment.

Pain

Smart

Confusion

Socrates Said He Was Not An Athenian Or A Greek, But A Citizen Of The World.

Patriotic

Greek

Patriotism

As In The Case Of Painters, Who Have Undertaken To Give Us A Beautiful And Graceful Figure, Which May Have Some Slight Blemishes, We Do Not Wish Then To Pass Over Such Blemishes Altogether, Nor Yet To Mark Them Too Prominently. The One Would Spoil The Beauty, And The Other Destroy The Likeness Of The Picture.

Beautiful

Giving

Wish

Forgetfulness Transforms Every Occurrence Into A Non-occurrence.

Forgetfulness

Distressed Valor Challenges Great Respect, Even From An Enemy.

Courage

Challenges

Enemy

Pythagoras, When He Was Asked What Time Was, Answered That It Was The Soul Of This World.

Time

Soul

World

What We Achieve Inwardly Will Change Outer Reality.

Motivational

Change

Positive

To Do An Evil Action Is Base; To Do A Good Action Without Incurring Danger Is Common Enough; But It Is The Part Of A Good Man To Do Great And Noble Deeds, Though He Risks Every Thing.

Courage

Men

Evil

Nothing Exists In The Intellect That Has Not First Gone Through The Senses.

Gone

Firsts

Intellect

The Obligations Of Law And Equity Reach Only To Mankind; But Kindness And Beneficence Should Be Extended To The Creatures Of Every Species, And These Will Flow From The Breast Of A True Man, As Streams That Issue From The Living Fountain.

Kindness

Philosophical

Animal

When Malice Is Joined To Envy, There Is Given Forth Poisonous And Feculent Matter, As Ink From The Cuttle-fish.

Envy

Ink

Matter

Archimedes Had Stated, That Given The Force, Any Given Weight Might Be Moved; And Even Boasted That If There Were Another Earth, By Going Into It He Could Remove This.

Weight

Earth

Might

To Please The Many Is To Displease The Wise.

Wise

Popularity

Please

Dionysius The Elder, Being Asked Whether He Was At Leisure, He Replied, "god Forbid That It Should Ever Befall Me!"

Leisure

Should

Elders

Cato Used To Assert That Wise Men Profited More By Fools Than Fools By Wise Men; For That Wise Men Avoided The Faults Of Fools, But That Fools Would Not Imitate The Good Examples Of Wise Men.

Wise

Learning

Men

For He Who Gives No Fuel To Fire Puts It Out, And Likewise He Who Does Not In The Beginning Nurse His Wrath And Does Not Puff Himself Up With Anger Takes Precautions Against It And Destroys It.

Anger

Fire

Wrath

Gout Is Not Relieved By A Fine Shoe Nor A Hangnail By A Costly Ring Nor Migraine By A Tiara.

Shoes

Gout

Tiaras

Philosophy Is An Act Of Living.

Life

Philosophy

Live Life

King Agis Said, "the Lacedæmonians Are Not Wont To Ask How Many, But Where The Enemy Are."

Kings

Enemy

Said

It Is No Disgrace Not To Be Able To Do Everything; But To Undertake, Or Pretend To Do, What You Are Not Made For, Is Not Only Shameful, But Extremely Troublesome And Vexatious.

Able

Made

Disgrace

It Is Not The Most Distinguished Achievements That Men's Virtues Or Vices May Be Best Discovered; But Very Often An Action Of Small Note. An Casual Remark Or Joke Shall Distinguish A Person's Real Character More Than The Greatest Sieges, Or The Most Important Battles.

Real

Character

Men

Men Who Marry Wives Very Much Superior To Themselves Are Not So Truly Husbands To Their Wives As They Are Unawares Made Slaves To Their Position.

Husband

Men

Wife

Ease And Speed In Doing A Thing Do Not Give The Work Lasting Solidity Or Exactness Of Beauty.

Work

Giving

Ease

Silence Is An Answer To A Wise Man.

Wise

Men

Silence

By The Study Of Their Biographies, We Receive Each Man As A Guest Into Our Minds, And We Seem To Understand Their Character As The Result Of A Personal Acquaintance, Because We Have Obtained From Their Acts The Best And Most Important Means Of Forming An Opinion About Them. "what Greater Pleasure Could'st Thou Gain Than This?" What More Valuable For The Elevation Of Our Own Character?

Character

Mean

Men

I Have Heard That Tiberius Used To Say That That Man Was Ridiculous, Who After Sixth Years, Appealed To A Physician.

Men

Years

Medicine

Pompey Bade Sylla Recollect That More Worshipped The Rising Than The Setting Sun.

Rising

Pompey

Sun

Nor Let Us Part With Justice, Like A Cheap And Common Thing, For A Small And Trifling Price.

Wisdom

Justice

Politics

He Who Least Likes Courting Favour, Ought Also Least To Think Of Resenting Neglect; To Feel Wounded At Being Refused A Distinction Can Only Arise From An Overweening Appetite To Have It.

Thinking

Likes

Favour

A Spartan Woman, As She Handed Her Son His Shield, Exhorted Him Saying, "as A Warrior Of Sparta Come Back With Your Shield Or On It."

Warrior

Son

Sparta

Among Real Friends There Is No Rivalry Or Jealousy Of One Another, But They Are Satisfied And Contented Alike Whether They Are Equal Or One Of Them Is Superior.

Friends

Real

Rivalry

A Locanian Having Plucked All The Feathers Off From A Nightingale And Seeing What A Little Body It Had, "surely," Quoth He, "thou Art All Voice And Nothing Else.

Art

Voice

Body

Whenever Anything Is Spoken Against You That Is Not True, Do Not Pass By Or Despise It Because It Is False; But Forthwith Examine Yourself, And Consider What You Have Said Or Done That May Administer A Just Occasion Of Reproof.

Done

May

Despise

Fate Leads Him Who Follows It, And Drags Him Who Resist.

Fate

Destiny

Drag

The Drop Hollows Out The Stone Not By Strength, But By Constant Falling.

Perseverance

Fall

Stones

When One Is Transported By Rage, It Is Best To Observe Attentively The Effects On Those Who Deliver Themselves Over To The Same Passion.

Passion

Rage

Effects

Children Are To Be Won To Follow Liberal Studies By Exhortations And Rational Motives, And On No Account To Be Forced Thereto By Whipping.

Children

Study

Whipping

It Is No Flattery To Give A Friend A Due Character; For Commendation Is As Much The Duty Of A Friend As Reprehension.

Character

Giving

Flattery

Proper Listening Is The Foundation Of Proper Living.

Listening

Foundation

When Demaratus Was Asked Whether He Held His Tongue Because He Was A Fool Or For Want Of Words, He Replied, "a Fool Cannot Hold His Tongue.

Want

Tongue

Fool

Nor Is Drunkenness Censured For Anything So Much As Its Intemperate And Endless Talk.

Talking

Endless

Drunkenness

Pythias Once, Scoffing At Demosthenes, Said That His Arguments Smelt Of The Lamp.

Lamps

Argument

Scoffing

Evidence Of Trust Begets Trust, And Love Is Reciprocated By Love.

Love Is

And Love

Love And Trust

Statesmen Are Not Only Liable To Give An Account Of What They Say Or Do In Public, But There Is A Busy Inquiry Made Into Their Very Meals, Beds, Marriages, And Every Other Sportive Or Serious Action.

Giving

Serious

Bed

A Fool Cannot Hold His Tongue.

Tongue

Fool

Extraordinary Rains Pretty Generally Fall After Great Battles.

Rain

Fall

Battle

An Old Doting Fool, With One Foot Already In The Grave.

Feet

Age

Fool

For Man Is A Plant, Not Fixed In The Earth, Nor Immovable, But Heavenly, Whose Head, Rising As It Were From A Root Upwards, Is Turned Towards Heaven.

Men

Roots

Heaven

Fortune Had Favoured Me In This War That I Feared, The Rather, That Some Tempest Would Follow So Favourable A Gale.

War

Gale

Tempest

The Present Offers Itself To Our Touch For Only An Instant Of Time And Then Eludes The Senses.

Elude

Instant

Offers

Let A Prince Be Guarded With Soldiers, Attended By Councillors, And Shut Up In Forts; Yet If His Thoughts Disturb Him, He Is Miserable.

Soldier

Shut Up

Miserable

Water Continually Dropping Will Wear Hard Rocks Hollow.

Inspiring

Sports

Perseverance

A Roman Divorced From His Wife, Being Highly Blamed By His Friends, Who Demanded, "was She Not Chaste? Was She Not Fair? Was She Not Fruitful?" Holding Out His Shoe, Asked Them Whether It Was Not New And Well Made. "yet," Added He, "none Of You Can Tell Where It Pinches Me.''

Friendship

Divorce

Shoes

Lysander, When Dionysius Sent Him Two Gowns, And Bade Him Choose Which He Would Carry To His Daughter, Said, "she Can Choose Best," And So Took Both Away With Him.

Daughter

Two

Gowns

The Process May Seem Strange And Yet It Is Very True. I Did Not So Much Gain The Knowledge Of Things By The Words, As Words By The Experience I Had Of Things.

May

Gains

Strange

Agesilaus Was Very Fond Of His Children; And It Is Reported That Once Toying With Them He Got Astride Upon A Reed As Upon A Horse, And Rode About The Room; And Being Seen By One Of His Friends, He Desired Him Not To Speak Of It Till He Had Children Of His Own.

Horse

Children

Rooms

The Human Heart Becomes Softened By Hearing Of Instances Of Gentleness And Consideration.

Heart

Hearing

Consideration

Phocion Compared The Speeches Of Leosthenes To Cypress-trees. "they Are Tall," Said He, "and Comely, But Bear No Fruit."

Tree

Speech

Fruit

Euripides Was Wont To Say, Silence Was An Answer To A Wise Man; But We Seem To Have Greater Occasion For It In Our Dealing With Fools And Unreasonable Persons; For Men Of Breeding And Sense Will Be Satisfied With Reason And Fair Words.

Wise

Men

Silence

He (cato) Never Gave His Opinion In The Senate Upon Any Other Point Whatever, Without Adding These Words, "and, In My Opinion Carthage Should Be Destroyed." ["delenda Est Carthago."]

Opinion

Should

Carthage

For To Err In Opinion, Though It Be Not The Part Of Wise Men, Is At Least Human.

Wise

Men

Opinion

He Is A Fool Who Lets Slip A Bird In The Hand For A Bird In The Bush.

Hands

Bird

Fool

Nothing Is Cheap Which Is Superfluous, For What One Does Not Need, Is Dear At A Penny.

Doe

Needs

Pennies

Beauty Is The Flower Of Virtue.

Beauty

Flower

Virtue

We Ought Not To Treat Living Creatures Like Shoes Or Household Belongings, Which When Worn With Use We Throw Away.

Life

Nature

Shoes

Character Is Inured Habit.

Character

Habit

Antisthenes Says That In A Certain Faraway Land The Cold Is So Intense That Words Freeze As Soon As They Are Uttered, And After Some Time Then Thaw And Become Audible, So That Words Spoken In Winter Go Unheard Until The Next Summer.

Summer

Winter

Land

Had I A Careful And Pleasant Companion That Should Show Me My Angry Face In A Glass, I Should Not At All Take It Ill; To Behold Man's Self So Unnaturally Disguised And Dishonored Will Conduce Not A Little To The Impeachment Of Anger.

Anger

Men

Self

Riches For The Most Part Are Hurtful To Them That Possess Them.

Hurtful

Riches

Concerning The Dead Nothing But Good Shall Be Spoken. [lat., De Mortuis Nil Nisi Bonum.]

Death

As Bees Extract Honey From Thyme, The Strongest And Driest Of Herbs, So Sensible Men Often Get Advantage And Profit From The Most Awkward Circumstances.

Men

Awkward

Thyme

Silence At The Proper Season Is Wisdom, And Better Than Any Speech.

Silence

Speech

Seasons

If You Declare That You Are Naturally Designed For Such A Diet, Then First Kill For Yourself What You Want To Eat. Do It, However, Only Through Your Own Resources, Unaided By Cleaver Or Cudgel Or Any Kind Of Ax

Philosophical

Animal

Vegetarianism

So Long As He Was Personally Present, [alcibiades] Had The Perfect Mastery Of His Political Adversaries; Calumny Only Succeeded In His Absence.

Long

Perfect

Political

When I Myself Had Twice Or Thrice Made A Resolute Resistance Unto Anger, The Like Befell Me That Did The Thebans; Who, Having Once Foiled The Lacedaemonians (who Before That Time Had Held Themselves Invincible), Never After Lost So Much As One Battle Which They Fought Against Them.

Anger

Battle

Resistance

Justice Makes The Life Of Such As Are In Prosperity, Power And Authority The Life Of A God, And Injustice Turns It To That Of A Beast.

Wisdom

Justice

Politics

Lying Is A Most Disgraceful Vice; It First Despises God, And Then Fears Men.

Lying

Men

Vices

He Who Cheats With An Oath Acknowledges That He Is Afraid Of His Enemy, But That He Thinks Little Of God.

Thinking

Enemy

Littles

I, For My Part, Wonder Of What Sort Of Feeling, Mind Or Reason That Man Was Possessed Who Was First To Pollute His Mouth With Gore, And To Allow His Lips To Touch The Flesh Of A Murdered Being: Who Spread His Table With The Mangled Forms Of Dead Bodies, And Claimed As Daily Food And Dainty Dishes What But Now Were Beings Endowed With Movement, Perception And With Voice. …but For The Sake Of Some Little Mouthful Of Flesh, We Deprive A Soul Of The Sun And Light, And Of That Portion Of Life And Time It Had Been Born In To The World To Enjoy.

Men

Light

Voice

Moral Habits, Induced By Public Practices, Are Far Quicker In Making Their Way Into Men's Private Lives, Than The Failings And Faults Of Individuals Are In Infecting The City At Large.

Life

Men

Practice

As To Caesar, When He Was Called Upon, He Gave No Testimony Against Clodius, Nor Did He Affirm That He Was Certain Of Any Injury Done To His Bed. He Only Said, He Had Divorced Pompeia Because The Wife Of Caesar Ought Not Only To Be Clear Of Such A Crime, But Of The Very Suspicion Of It.

Wife

Done

Bed

The Belly Has No Ears.

Ears

Gluttony

Belly

What Can They Suffer That Do Not Fear To Die?

Death

Suffering

Do Not Fear

Alcibiades Had A Very Handsome Dog, That Cost Him Seven Thousand Drachmas; And He Cut Off His Tail, "that," Said He, "the Athenians May Have This Story To Tell Of Me, And May Concern Themselves No Further With Me.

Dog

Cutting

Tails

He Who Reflects On Another Man's Want Of Breeding, Shows He Wants It As Much Himself

Reflection

Men

Want

I Do Not Think That Shoemaker A Good Workman That Makes A Great Shoe For A Little Foot.

Thinking

Shoes

Feet

The Man Who Is Completely Wise And Virtuous Has No Need Of Glory, Except So Far As It Disposes And Eases His Way To Action By The Greater Trust That It Procures Him.

Wise

Men

Ease

Perseverance Is More Prevailing Than Violence; And Many Things Which Cannot Be Overcome When They Are Together, Yield Themselves Up When Taken Little By Little.

Perseverance

Taken

Persistence

Of All The Disorders In The Soul, Envy Is The Only One No One Confesses To.

Envy

Soul

Disorder

Once When Phocion Had Delivered An Opinion Which Pleased The People, He Turned To His Friend And Said, "have I Not Unawares Spoken Some Mischievous Thing Or Other?"

People

Opinion

Said

Cicero Called Aristotle A River Of Flowing Gold, And Said Of Plato's Dialogues, That If Jupiter Were To Speak, It Would Be In Language Like Theirs.

Plato

Rivers

Gold

He Who First Called Money The Sinews Of The State Seems To Have Said This With Special Reference To War.

War

Special

Firsts

He Is A Fool Who Leaves Things Close At Hand To Follow What Is Out Of Reach.

Hands

Fool

To Conduct Great Matters And Never Commit A Fault Is Above The Force Of Human Nature.

Matter

Faults

Human Nature

The Abuse Of Buying And Selling Votes Crept In And Money Began To Play An Important Part In Determining Elections. Later On, This Process Of Corruption Spread To The Law Courts. And Then To The Army, And Finally The Republic Was Subjected To The Rule Of Emperors

Army

Play

Law Courts

If Nature Be Not Improved By Instruction, It Is Blind; If Instruction Be Not Assisted By Nature, It Is Maimed; And If Exercise Fail Of The Assistance Of Both, It Is Imperfect.

Education

Exercise

Imperfect

Whenever Alexander Heard Philip Had Taken Any Town Of Importance, Or Won Any Signal Victory, Instead Of Rejoicing At It Altogether, He Would Tell His Companions That His Father Would Anticipate Everything, And Leave Him And Them No Opportunities Of Performing Great And Illustrious Actions.

Father

Taken

Opportunity

To Harmodius, Descended From The Ancient Harmodius, When He Reviled Iphicrates [a Shoemaker's Son] For His Mean Birth, "my Nobility," Said He, "begins In Me, But Yours Ends In You.

Mean

Son

Birth

Philosophy Finds Talkativeness A Disease Very Difficult And Hard To Cure. For Its Remedy, Conversation, Requires Hearers: But Talkative People Hear Nobody, For They Are Ever Prating. And The First Evil This Inability To Keep Silence Produces Is An Inability To Listen.

Philosophy

Talking

People

Nothing Made The Horse So Fat As The King's Eye.

Horse

Kings

Eye

When A Man's Struggle Begins Within Oneself, The Man Is Worth Something.

Struggle

Men

He Man

Alexander Esteemed It More Kingly To Govern Himself Than To Conquer His Enemies.

Freedom

Enemy

Conquer

Vos Vestros Servate, Meos Mihi Linquite Mores You Keep To Your Own Ways, And Leave Mine To Me

Advice

Way

Mines

Lamentation Is The Only Musician That Always, Like A Screech-owl, Alights And Sits On The Roof Of Any Angry Man.

Anger

Men

Angry Man

Water And Our Necessary Food Are The Only Things That Wise Men Must Fight For.

Wise

Healing

Fighting

What Is Bigger Than An Elephant? But This Also Is Become Man's Plaything, And A Spectacle At Public Solemnities; And It Learns To Skip, Dance, And Kneel

Men

Elephants

Solemnity

It Does Not Follow, That Because A Particular Work Of Art Succeeds In Charming Us, Its Creator Also Deserves Our Admiration.

Art

Doe

Succeed

The Measure Of A Man Is The Way He Bears Up Under Misfortune.

Motivation

Crazy

Inspiration

Fate, However, Is To All Appearance More Unavoidable Than Unexpected.

Fate

Unexpected

Appearance

Nothing Can Produce So Great A Serenity Of Life As A Mind Free From Guilt And Kept Untainted, Not Only From Actions, But Purposes That Are Wicked. By This Means The Soul Will Be Not Only Unpolluted But Also Undisturbed. The Fountain Will Run Clear And Unsullied.

Running

Peace

Mean

A Lover's Soul Lives In The Body Of His Mistress.

Life

Soul

Mistress

Our Nature Holds So Much Envy And Malice That Our Pleasure In Our Own Advantages Is Not So Great As Our Distress At Others'.

Envy

Pleasure

Advantage

Man Is Neither By Birth Nor Disposition A Savage, Nor Of Unsocial Habits, But Only Becomes So By Indulging In Vices Contrary To His Nature.

Men

Vices

Savages

A Soldier Told Pelopidas, "we Are Fallen Among The Enemies." Said He, "how Are We Fallen Among Them More Than They Among Us?"

Soldier

Enemy

Said

Do Not Speak Of Your Happiness To One Less Fortunate Than Yourself.

Happiness

Happy

Speak Less

I See The Cure Is Not Worth The Pain.

Pain

Cures

Anger Turns The Mind Out Of Doors And Bolts The Entrance.

Anger

Doors

Mind

Themistocles Replied That A Man's Discourse Was Like To A Rich Persian Carpet, The Beautiful Figures And Patterns Of Which Can Only Be Shown By Spreading And Extending It Out; When It Is Contracted And Folded Up, They Are Obscured And Lost.

Beautiful

Men

Speech

It Is A Thing Of No Great Difficulty To Raise Objections Against Another Man's Oration, It Is A Very Easy Matter; But To Produce A Better In It's Place Is A Work Extremely Troublesome.

Work

Men

Criticism

Let Us Carefully Observe Those Good Qualities Wherein Our Enemies Excel Us; And Endeavor To Excel Them, By Avoiding What Is Faulty, And Imitating What Is Excellent In Them.

Enemy

Quality

Excellent

The Same Intelligence Is Required To Marshal An Army In Battle And To Order A Good Dinner. The First Must Be As Formidable As Possible, The Second As Pleasant As Possible, To The Participants.

Food

Army

Order

The Omission Of Good Is No Less Reprehensible Than The Commission Of Evil.

Omission

Evil

Wickedness

Vultures Are The Most Righteous Of Birds: They Do Not Attack Even The Smallest Living Creature.

Bird

Righteous

Vulture

Demosthenes Told Phocion, "the Athenians Will Kill You Some Day When They Once Are In A Rage." "and You," Said He, "if They Are Once In Their Senses."

Rage

Said

Athenians

Aristodemus, A Friend Of Antigonus, Supposed To Be A Cook's Son, Advised Him To Moderate His Gifts And Expenses. "thy Words," Said He, "aristodemus, Smell Of The Apron.

Son

Smell

Aprons

I Confess Myself The Greatest Coward In The World, For I Dare Not Do An Ill Thing.

Coward

World

Dare

Hesiod Might As Well Have Kept His Breath To Cool His Pottage.

Might

Wells

Breaths

He [caesar] Loved The Treason, But Hated The Traitor.

Traitor

Hated

Treason

As Soft Wax Is Apt To Take The Stamp Of The Seal, So Are The Minds Of Young Children To Receive The Instruction Imprinted On Them.

Children

Mind

Instruction

Learn To Be Pleased With Everything, With Wealth So Far As It Makes Us Beneficial To Others; With Poverty, For Not Having Much To Care For; And With Obscurity, For Being Unenvied.

Balance

Contentment

Obscurity

When Anaxagoras Was Told Of The Death Of His Son, He Only Said, "i Knew He Was Mortal." So We In All Casualties Of Life Should Say "i Knew My Riches Were Uncertain, That My Friend Was But A Man." Such Considerations Would Soon Pacify Us, Because All Our Troubles Proceed From Their Being Unexpected.

Son

Men

Riches

There Are Two Sentences Inscribed Upon The Ancient Oracle... "know Thyself" And "nothing Too Much"; And Upon These All Other Precepts Depend.

Two

Oracles

Too Much

When Eudæmonidas Heard A Philosopher Arguing That Only A Wise Man Can Be A Good General, "this Is A Wonderful Speech," Said He; "but He That Saith It Never Heard The Sound Of Trumpets.

Wise

Men

Sound

Lysander Said That The Law Spoke Too Softly To Be Heard In Such A Noise Of War.

War

Law

Noise

Playing The Cretan With The Cretans (i.e. Lying To Liars).

Liars

Lying

Speech Is Like Cloth Of Arras Opened And Put Abroad, Whereby The Imagery Doth Appear In Figure; Whereas In Thoughts They Lie But As Packs.

Lying

Speech

Figures

It Is The Usual Consolation Of The Envious, If They Cannot Maintain Their Superiority, To Represent Those By Whom They Are Surpassed As Inferior To Some One Else.

Usual

Envious

Consolation

The Worship Most Acceptable To God Comes From A Thankful And Cheerful Heart.

God

Gratitude

Heart

The New King [alexander The Great] Should Perform Acts So Important And Glorious As Would Make The Poets And Musicians Of Future Ages Labour And Sweat To Describe And Celebrate Him.

Kings

Future

Sweat

The Authors Of Great Evils Know Best How To Remove Them.

Evil

Remove

Knows

He Shall Fare Well Who Confronts Circumstances Aright.

Circumstances

Wells

These Macedonians Are A Rude And Clownish People; They Call A Spade A Spade.

People

Rude

Spades

It Is A High Distinction For A Homely Woman To Be Loved For Her Character Rather Than For Beauty.

Women

Character

Distinction

The Talkative Listen To No One, For They Are Ever Speaking. And The First Evil That Attends Those Who Know Not To Be Silent Is That They Hear Nothing.

Talking

Evil

Firsts

Antagoras The Poet Was Boiling A Conger, And Antigonus, Coming Behind Him As He Was Stirring His Skillet, Said, "do You Think, Antagoras, That Homer Boiled Congers When He Wrote The Deeds Of Agamemnon?" Antagoras Replied, "do You Think, O King, That Agamemnon, When He Did Such Exploits, Was A Peeping In His Army To See Who Boiled Congers?

Kings

Army

Thinking

The Generous Mind Adds Dignity To Every Act, And Nothing Misbecomes It.

Mind

Add

Dignity

Julius Caesar Divorced His Wife Pompeia, But Declared At The Trial That He Knew Nothing Of What Was Alleged Against Her And Clodius. When Asked Why, In That Case, He Had Divorced Her, He Replied: Because I Would Have The Chastity Of My Wife Clear Even Of Suspicion.

Wife

Trials

Cases

Themistocles Being Asked Whether He Would Rather Be Achilles Or Homer, Said, "which Would You Rather Be, A Conqueror In The Olympic Games, Or The Crier That Proclaims Who Are Conquerors?

Games

Achilles

Said

So Very Difficult A Matter Is It To Trace And Find Out The Truth Of Anything By History.

Matter

Difficult

The Richest Soil, If Uncultivated, Produces The Rankest Weeds.

Weed

Hard Work

Garden

From Themistocles Began The Saying, "he Is A Second Hercules."

It Is A Difficult Task, O Citizens, To Make Speeches To The Belly, Which Has No Ears.

Tasks

Citizens

Ears

Mothers Ought To Bring Up And Nurse Their Own Children; For They Bring Them Up With Greater Affection And With Greater Anxiety, As Loving Them From The Heart, And So To Speak, Every Inch Of Them.

Mother

Children

Heart

Xenophon Says That There Is No Sound More Pleasing Than One's Own Praises.

Sound

Praise

The First Man . . . Ventured To Call Food And Nourishment The Parts That Had A Little Before Bellowed And Cried, Moved And Lived. How Could His Eyes Endure The Slaughter When Throats Were Slit And Hides Flayed And Limbs Torn From Limb? How Could His Nose Endure The Stench? How Was It That The Pollution Did Not Turn Away His Taste, Which Made Contact With The Sores Of Others And Sucked Juices And Serums From Mortal Wounds?

Eye

Men

Animal

For The Mind Does Not Require Filling Like A Bottle, But Rather, Like Wood, It Only Requires Kindling To Create In It An Impulse To Think Independently And An Ardent Desire For The Truth.

Thinking

Technology

Mind

But For The Sake Of Some Little Mouthful Of Flesh We Deprive A Soul Of The Sun And Light, And Of That Proportion Of Life And Time It Had Been Born Into The World To Enjoy.

Life

Animal

Light

A Friend Should Be Like Money, Tried Before Being Required, Not Found Faulty In Our Need.

Friends

Needs

Should

Were It Only To Learn Benevolence To Humankind, We Should Be Merciful To Other Creatures.

Should

Benevolence

Humankind

An Imbalance Between Rich And Poor Is The Oldest And Most Fatal Ailment Of All Republics.

Freedom

Tyrants

Economic Inequality

The Very Spring And Root Of Honesty And Virtue Lie In Good Education.

Education

Teacher

Appreciation

If I Were Not Alexander, I Would Be Diogenes.

Would Be

Ifs

Remember What Simonides Said, That He Never Repented That He Had Held His Tongue, But Often That He Had Spoken.

Silence

Tongue

Remember

Knowledge Of Divine Things For The Most Part, As Heraclitus Says, Is Lost To Us By Incredulity.

Divine

Lost

Incredulity

Understanding Quotes: Their Essence and Application

Quotes, or quotations, are powerful tools in communication, encapsulating ideas, emotions, and wisdom in concise expressions. They serve various purposes across different contexts, from academic writing to everyday conversation.

1. Defining Quotes

A quote is a repetition of someone else's statement or thoughts. It can be a direct replication of words spoken or written by another individual, often used to support arguments, provide evidence, or convey profound insights.

2. The Importance of Quotes

2.1. Enhancing Credibility

Incorporating quotes from authoritative sources can bolster the credibility of your work. By referencing experts or primary sources, you demonstrate thorough research and a solid foundation for your arguments.

2.2. Providing Evidence

Quotes serve as concrete evidence to support claims. In academic and professional writing, they validate points made, offering readers a basis to trust the information presented.

2.3. Conveying Emotions and Perspectives

Quotes can encapsulate emotions and perspectives succinctly. They allow writers to express complex feelings or viewpoints through the words of others, often more eloquently than paraphrasing.

3. Types of Quotes

3.1. Direct Quotes

Direct quotes involve copying the exact words from a source, enclosed in quotation marks. They are used when the original wording is significant or particularly well-expressed.

3.2. Indirect Quotes (Paraphrasing)

Indirect quotes restate the original message in your own words. While not enclosed in quotation marks, they still require proper attribution to the original source.

3.3. Block Quotes

Block quotes are lengthy direct quotations, formatted as a separate block of text. They are typically used for quotes exceeding a certain length, varying by citation style. For instance, in APA style, quotes longer than 40 words are formatted as block quotes.

4. Proper Usage of Quotes

4.1. Contextual Relevance

Ensure that the quote you choose is relevant to the topic and adds value to your content. Avoid inserting quotes solely for decorative purposes.

4.2. Integration into Your Writing

Seamlessly integrate quotes into your writing. Introduce them appropriately and follow up with analysis or commentary to connect them to your main points.

4.3. Attribution and Citation

Always attribute quotes to their original authors and provide proper citations according to the required style guide (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.).

5. Common Mistakes to Avoid

5.1. Overusing Quotes

Relying too heavily on quotes can overshadow your voice. Use them sparingly to support your arguments, not replace them.

5.2. Lack of Analysis

Presenting a quote without analysis or explanation can leave readers questioning its relevance. Always follow up with your interpretation or discussion.

5.3. Misquoting or Taking Out of Context

Ensure that quotes are accurate and not taken out of context, as this can mislead readers and undermine your credibility.

6. Quotes in Different Contexts

6.1. Academic Writing

In academic writing, quotes are used to support arguments, provide evidence, and engage with existing literature. Proper citation is crucial to avoid plagiarism.

6.2. Journalism

Journalists use quotes to provide firsthand accounts, add authenticity, and present multiple perspectives within a story.

6.3. Literature and Creative Writing

In literature, quotes can be used to convey character voices, themes, and stylistic elements. They enrich narratives and provide depth to storytelling.

7. Punctuation and Formatting

Understanding the correct punctuation and formatting of quotes is essential:

Quotation Marks: Always enclose direct quotes within quotation marks.

Punctuation Placement: In American English, periods and commas are placed inside quotation marks, while colons and semicolons are placed outside.

Block Quotes: For longer quotes, format them as block quotes without quotation marks, and indent the entire block.

8. Ethical Considerations

Ethical use of quotes involves accurate representation, proper attribution, and respect for intellectual property. Misuse can lead to plagiarism, which carries serious academic and professional consequences.

9. Tools for Managing Quotes

Utilize tools like citation generators and plagiarism checkers to manage quotes effectively. These tools help ensure proper formatting and originality in your writing.

Conclusion

Quotes are invaluable in enriching content, providing evidence, and conveying complex ideas succinctly. When used appropriately, they enhance the quality and credibility of your writing. Always ensure relevance, proper integration, and ethical usage to maximize their impact.

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